Desert Rivers Region 100km - March 3, 2012

Ride: Desert River 100km
Organizer: Paul Whitney - post questions to this blog
Ride Date: Saturday March 3, 2012.
Start time: 9:00am, Registration - 8:30-8:55am.
Start/End Location: Winco's Parking lot; at the intersection of and Columbia Point Drive and George Washington Blvd - in Richland, WA. 101 Columbia Point Drive, Richland, WA.
Finish by: 3:56pm March 3
Registration: Pre-register here. To see who is registered, see here.
Entry fee: $5 (ride insurance, Brevet cards and snacks). Checks should be payable to "Paul Whitney".
Medals: Available directly from the RUSA online store.
Route Sheet: Here.
Route Map: Here.

The route is a slight modification of the 5 Cities and 3 rivers Permanent Populaire route that Norman Carr organizes. The route for this short ride stays near the Tri-Cities, and traverses roads with which local cyclists will be familiar. The route heads out of the parking area, and crosses the concrete bridge over into Pasco. The bike path along the Columbia is a primary route to get to the first checkpoint at Sacajawea Park. Reversing direction, the ride then heads to the Cable Bridge, thru Columbia Park, and more bicycle paths, and then Kennedy road to Benton City. The famous Cougar Café is the next checkpoint.

The route heads back towards West Richland via Van Giessen. There is an information checkpoint along this stretch. A left-turn leads to crossing the Yakima, and heading towards 240. A brief ride along the ample shoulder of this road is followed by a left turn into a light industrial area. The route passes by Pacific Northwest National Lab, and then returns to the Columbia River for the final stretch back to the Winco Parking lot.

Ride Finish: The finish will is staffed – the organizer will greet you, take your card, and offer you a beverage. All in the same great location as the ride start.